The mayor of Chittagong City Corporation claimed Indian secessionists were running at least 50 to 60 training camps in the CHT and the weapons were brought in to arm them under a sinister conspiracy to create unrest in the subcontinent.

"I've information that members of some Indian rebel groups are being trained in those camps on Bangladesh territory and (this is) known very well by our government, too," Mohiuddin told a news conference at his office yesterday.

Security sources however dismissed his statement reiterating that no Indian rebel camps existed in the hill tracts.

The mayor said, "The arms cache seized at the Chittagong Urea Fertiliser Limited [CUFL] jetty was smuggled in to hand them over to the secessionist groups of northeastern Indian states including Assam, Nagaland and Mizoram," adding the government was now frantically trying to cover up the facts.

He also alleged that the huge consignment of arms had landed at the CUFL jetty as per an arrangement made by the government and its signals to coastguard, police and other agencies.

The mayor claimed the firearms were sent by the USA to create unrest in India by arming its secessionists. "I'm say this with a challenge to prove me wrong: the US wants to create unrest in the subcontinent to prepare grounds for an invasion," he said, adding, "A big conspiracy is on behind this massive gunrunning."

Mohiuddin said, "The US and Pakistan want to take revenge on India for helping us in 1971."

"The USA even tried to gain a footing here with the plea for introducing scanning system at Chittagong Port with an ulterior motive to help the gunrunners," the CCC mayor continued. "I also know that the arms hauled here and shown as Chinese ones were a camouflage. But those seem to have been manufactured either in Pakistan or in America."

Turning to the government's move for constructing a third bridge over the Karnaphuli, the mayor demanded setting up a floating bridge to avert siltation in the riverbed. He also urged the government to conduct a feasibility study before taking up the construction project.

"If the bridge is built on concrete pillars, Chittagong Port, a source of huge revenue for us, will surely be ruined within 10 years due to heavy siltation," Mohiuddin warned and threatened to launch agitation in the port city if his proposal for a floating bridge was turned down.

The mayor of Chittagong also suggested introducing transit facility through Chittagong Port for Indian cargo to raise the revenue earning. "Our revenue will increase five times if we allow transit facility to the landlocked states of India," he said.